Rein support



T. WATKINS REIN SUPPORT Sept. 20, 1927.

Filed Aug. 3, 1926 Patented Sept. 20, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE?.

TOM WATKINS, 0F GATEWAY, COLORADO.`

REIN SUPPORT.

Application led August 3, 1926.

This invention relates to rein supports and particularly to certain improvements in the rein support shown, described and claimed in my application 't'or patent tiled Se tember 10, 1924i, Serial No. 767,011., and al. owed on t-he 7th day oi June, 1926.

The general object ot the present invention is to provide a rein support which is adapted to be attached to a wagon tongue to provide means for prevent-ing the reins from catchingbeneath the tongue.

Another object is to provide a device ot this character which will yield when forcibly brought into contact with an obstruction and in which its general position will change in the event that the device is brought into Contact with a rigid obstruction such as a tence, the side oit a barn, or the like.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the outer coils oit' the resilient rein support may be rotatably connected to the helically coiled portion ot the support, the construction being such that the rein engaging portion will not readily become detached trom the helically coiled portion.

A Yfurther object is to provide improved means whereby the rein support may be connected to the tongue of the wagon.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein 1- Figure 1 is an elevation of a rein support constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 ot Fi `ure 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-11 of Figure 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inner end of the spring member 11;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the plate with which the coils of the spring 10 are engagged.

Referring tot-hess drawings it will be seen that t timeframe. the @ap @ne et si Serial No. 126,868.`

wagon tongue T having secured thereto the usual clevis My improved device co1nprises a clamp adapted to be secured to the clevis, a relatively resilient portion 10 composed of a coiled spring,r or springs, and the rein supporting portion 11. The particular construction ot the portions 1() and 11 will be later stated.

The clamp whereby the portion 10 is clamped to the forward end of a wagon tongue and specifically to the clevis C is composed ot' a plate 12 having an angularly eX- tending,r flange 13 at its rear end. This 'flange is cut away at 14. This plate 12 is formed with a depression or channel 12 to receive the inner end portion ot" the wire coil 26 which forms the portion 10, which will be later described. Coacting with this plate 12 is a U-shaped clamping member designated generally 15 having parallel portions or ears 16 apertured for the passage ot' a stud bolt 17 which. at its rear end, is integrally connected to a semi-circular clamping' member 18 which is adapted to embrace or partially encircle the portion 10.

Riveted to the rear wall 19 ot the member 15 is a springr 20 and formed to provide two approximately semi-circular spring leaves normally spaced from each other at 21. The bolt 17 passes through the apertures in the plate 12 and the side plate 16 and surroundine' this bolt is a coiled spring22 against which the nut 23 bears. The plate 12 has inwardly turned margins 24- adapted 'to clamp over the rounded edges of the clevis C and preferably a piece of leather, raw hide, or like material designated 25 will be disposed on the inner side ot this plate 12. The spring 2O will bear resiliently against the inner face of the clevis C and will expand to suit different sizes of clevises, While the plates 12 and 16 will bind on each side of the clevis. Thus the clevis will loe securely clamped and the portion 10 will also be securely clamped to the clamping inem-4 bers 12 and 16.

The portion 10 is constructed in accorda ariege with my prior a plicatien, et ,tive

Y t. l. 'tils ot wire 2G and 27 f isposefi thie within the other. The inner extremities of these two wires, from which these two coils are formed, are extended through an end plate 23 which is approximately seini-circular in form and provided with two slots or periorations 29 through which the two wires 26 and 27 extend. The ends oit these wires are flattened down upon this plate Vand the straight edge of this plate normally rests within the slot 14 and against the'edge wall of this slot so that the plate cannotturn. The outer end of the tubular member 10 is preferably bulged as at 30. The portion'll is formed of two wires 31 and 32, these wires being coiled as illustrated in Figure 5 so as toiorm a series ot' parallelcoils and these two series of overlapping coiled wires are connected'to each other at intervals by binding rings or wires 33. The inner ends of the wires 31 and 32 are bent upon themselves as at 34 and each of these rebent portions 34 is so formed that the rebent wire is turned outward at 35 to viit the bulged portion 30 in the coilsof the wires 26 and 27. Thus these portions 34 of the two wires 3l and 32 may be inserted within the tubular -coils 26 and 27 and sprung into place within the bulge 30 so that this outer portion 1l has in eiiect, swivcled engagement with the poi*- tion 10, thus permitting this part ll to be rotated within the part 1G,

The part- 11, as illustrated in Figure l, is upwardly curvedso as to form a slight hook u on which the reins may be supported. T us,the reins when dropped are prevented from passing below the tongue T and thus will save the driver from climbing down from the wagon to rearrange the lines. This is particularly convenient wherel the tongue is attached to a hay wagon or the like where the driver is perched up some distance from the tongue. The structure of the rein support .is suoli that it is normally maintained in a vfixed position but in the event that the supporting member should strilre a fence, side ot a barn, oi-any other obstruction, the supporting ymember will yield sufficiently 'as to prevent breakage but will, because of its resiliency, automatically return to its normal position and condition. This supporting device will also yield suinciently as to one-rnc ,obstruction to the teamster when hooking up or unhoolring. By providing a swiveled connection between the portions 10 and ll the two sections or portions will not ordinarilypull apart but yet the tea-mster is enabled'to twist the outer section 11 as he pleases to the right orlett. This reduces the' cost ofrmanuacture and very greatly improves the rein support as illustrated in'my prior application.

The particular construction of the clamp whereby the rein support is attached to the tongue is such that it may be applied to clevises or pole caps of dierent sizes as the neeasoo spring 2O readily accommodates itself to eyes of different diameters.

1. A reinsupport comprising an elongated yieldable member formed or two sections or portions having swiveled engagementV gaging clamp, the outer end of the coiledV wire being outwardly bulged, and a .hookshaped resilient outer section composed of a plurality of wires, the'inner end of each of said wires beingbent upon itself to form a bight portion, the sides of which are latersoV ally upturned'to lit the bulge in the coils of the first named section.

4. A rein support comprising a'yieldable member, the outer end of which is hookshaped, a clamp bolt having a portion partially embracing the inner end of said yieldable member, opposed clamping plates through which said bolt passes, a spring surrounding the bolt and yieldingly resisting inward movement of the clamping plates, and a spring attached to one of said clamping plates, the spring having the form of a segment of a'circle to provide two leaves resiliently urged away from each other, said spring being adapted to be disposed within the eye of a `tongue. clevis, while the bolt passes through said eye.

5. A rein support including a tubular resilient member, and means l"or clamping the rein support upon the clevis ofa wagon tongue comprising a bolthaving a iattened portion at its inner end adapted to partially embrace the tubular member section, a 'U- shaped member embodying opposed parallel plates perforated for the passage of thev bolt, a plate disposed between said tubular member and one of the side plates of said member, said plate being angular in section and having an aperture for the passage of the bolt, a circular split spring disposed between the sides of said llJ-shaped member and adapted to eXpansibly engage the interior of vthe clevis eye, a nut engaging t-he bolt, and a coiled springsurrounding the bolt and resisting compression of the sides ofthe U- shaped member. p

6. In combinationwith a wagon tongue, a plate carried thereby and provided with a groove, a rein support having a circular shank engaged in said groove, a bolt exiin tite@ tended through the plate and having a hooked end engaging said shank, a nut on Said holt at the opposite side of the plate Yfrom the shank, and a Spring' extending from the plate and engaging said nut.

7. In combination with a `wagon tongue, a plate carried thereby and provided with a groove, a rein vsupport having' a circular shank engaged in said groove, ay holt extend ed through the plate and having a hooked 10 end engaging Said Shank, and means constantly urging' said hook toward said plate. In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

TOM WATKINS. 

